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The Money Guidance Competency Framework – an overview.

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The Money Guidance Framework sets out the skills, knowledge and behaviours required to deliver impartial guidance on money management and financial well-being in the non-regulated space.

It is designed for use by anyone who provides money guidance of any type. It is split into two sections. The Foundations contain the minimum level of skills and knowledge needed by anyone delivering money guidance.

Depending on your role and your customers, you may require expertise in certain areas such as budgeting or borrowing. The technical knowledge is set out over 12 money domains. These are tiered according to level of complexity. The tiers provide clear progression.

You can select the domains and tiers that relate to the depth and breadth of the money guidance you offer. You can use the Competency Framework in a range of ways, for example to support peer-to-peer discussions, self-reflection, and job role and career planning. The Money Guidance Competency Framework is designed to support you and the money guidance you deliver. It’s available to download at: moneyandpensionsservice.org.uk/money-guiders

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The Money Guidance Competency Framework – the structure.

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The Money Guidance Competency Framework begins with a set of Foundation attributes. As someone who has conversations about money with your customers, these behaviours and personal qualities underpin your money guidance.

Building on the Foundation attributes are the specific areas of technical knowledge about money guidance. These 12 areas are known as the Technical Domains.

The Technical Domains are tiered according to level of complexity. The tiers provide clear progression. All of the 12 domains have a basic level of knowledge, known as Tier 1. Most of them have a second, more detailed level, Tier 2, and some domains have a Tier 3 which requires the most in-depth knowledge of money guidance.

The technical domains and tiers you identify with depend entirely on your role an the service you work with in.

Tier 1 is about giving general factual information with signposting to help the customer find out more.

Tier 2 focuses more on the customer’s individual circumstances and options available to them. You might offer practical help, formal referrals and some coaching.

Tier 3 is for specialist guidance and complex cases. Customers will need bespoke help that requires an in-depth knowledge of money guidance.

It’s important to remember that the tiers provide progression within each of the technical money domains. If you deliver money guidance at Tier 2, your role must also include Tier 1. And if you provide guidance at Tier 3, your role must also include Tiers 1 and 2.

You can find out more at: moneyandpensionsservice.org.uk/money-guiders

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The Money Guidance Competency Framework – ways to use it.

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The Money Guidance Competency Framework is designed to help and support you and the money guidance you deliver. But there are no rules here. How you use it is up to you. We can offer some suggestions, but you shouldn’t feel limited by them.

You might have some better ideas, in which case go for it!

Finding your way around the framework is the best place to start. Once you’ve got to know it, you can map out the bits that are most relevant to you. Once you’ve mapped out your money guidance, you can self-assess your confidence levels.

How sure do you feel about the areas of money guidance you deliver? Do you feel comfortable and confident that you’re doing the right thing? You can also reflect on your learning and development. Which areas of your money guidance have been supported by training or continuing professional development?

Can you pinpoint any gaps or where you feel you could learn more? Now you can think about how to improve your money guidance, which areas of learning are a priority for you, what training and development opportunities are available, and when.

The framework is useful in other ways too. For example, you can spot areas where you’d like to progress your role in money guidance and think about how that fits into your career plans. You can also use it as a talking point with colleagues and peers. How do your money guidance skills and expertise differ? How can you best support your customers?

As you use the framework, you might come up with other ideas for how it can help the money guidance you deliver to your customers. Don’t forget to share these with your colleagues so they can benefit too. 

You can find out more at: moneyandpensionsservice.org.uk/money-guiders